He began his career fronting the group Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets, managed by Paul Barrett. Also known as the The Sunsets, the 50s-esque rock n roll outfit originaled from Penarth, South Glamorgan. An early break for the band arrived when they were given a support slot for The Rolling Stones in December 1969. Yet, despite landing a recording contract with the seminal label Parlophone Records the following year, the band found success hard to come by. At least in their native Great Britain, they couldn't quite break through commercially, though they had hit singles in other countries. After seven years of constant touring and recording, Shaky left the band in 1977. He gained a lead role in Jack Good's "Elvis!" musical, which brought him praise from many critics.
Regular TV appearances on the revamped TV show Oh Boy led eventually to his first chart success, a reworked version of a Buck Owens song "Hot Dog", which Owens would go on to re-record using Stevens arrangement which had been created by pedal steel guitar player B.J. Cole.
In 1979, Shaky signed what was to be his most successful management deal with Freya Miller, and in 1981, he had his first UK number 1 with "This Ole House" and would have 10 more songs reach the top 5, including three number 1 hits with "Green Door", "Oh Julie" and "Merry Christmas Everyone", while "You Drive Me Crazy" and "A Love Worth Waiting For" reached number 2 in 1981 and 1984 respectively. His 1984 hit "Teardrops" featured Hank B. Marvin on guitar and Stevens has often featured famous musicians such as Albert Lee, Roger Taylor, Bonnie Tyler and more recently Tony Joe White on his recordings. In the mid 80s, Stevens reunited with former producer Dave Edmunds to record an album Lipstick, Powder and Paint and the Christmas smash "Merry Christmas Everyone".
The hits continued throughout the 1980s, making Stevens the biggest selling artist of the decade, and into the early 1990s. Chart successes also included his album Shaky reaching number 1.
It was in the 1990s, however, that Stevens took a lengthy break from recording and was stung by a court ruling requiring a substantial payout to former bandmates The Sunsets. In 1999, Shaky returned to performing and undertook tours that year and the year following. In 2004, things started to look up for Stevens he had a further platinum CD/DVD album in Denmark and a gold album in South Africa.
In 2005, he returned once again to the charts in the United Kingdom, with his greatest hits album The Collection, which reached the UK top 5. That year, he also appeared in the video to Tony Christie's and Peter Kay's #1 hit single "Is This the Way to Amarillo", alongside many other UK stars, including Ronnie Corbett, Jim Bowen, Michael Parkinson and Geoffrey Hayes. He was the winner on the reality television show, Hit Me Baby One More Time. This was quickly followed by a re-release of his cover and his own biggest hit sung in the show, ("Trouble" covering Pink's version) / "This Ole House"), which reached #20 on the UK Singles Chart in June 2005, his 33rd Top 40 hit in the United Kingdom.
In May 2007, Stevens released a brand new album in Denmark entitled Now Listen.
This Time
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This time we've said way too much
This time's for all time
How about this time?
This time there'll be no goodnight kiss
This time is for ever
This time I find that I'm really losing you
It really doesn't matter anyhow
Now that you've gone away
I only live from day to day
This time there'll be no goodnight kiss
This time is for ever
This time I find that I'm really losing you
This time there'll be no goodnight kiss
This time is for ever
This time I find that I'm really losing you
The lyrics in Shakin' Stevens's song This Time is about a relationship that has come to an end, and this time, it's for good. The singer emphasizes that there will be no turning back, and the decision is final. The couple has said too much, and it has led to a permanent separation. The singer admits that his heart is broken, but it does not matter anymore. He will now live day-by-day without his partner, accepting the ending that has arrived.
The repetition of the phrase "this time" emphasizes the finality of the situation. The singer is resigned to the fact that the relationship has reached its end. He repeats the line, "This time there'll be no goodnight kiss," emphasizing the sadness of leaving without the tender exchange. The line, "This time I find that I'm really losing you," also stresses the realization that the person he is singing about is slipping away, and he has no way of saving the relationship.
The song represents the heartbreak that comes with losing someone you love, and the realization that sometimes letting go is for the best. The music is slow, sad and the lyrics are thoughtful, representing the mood of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
This time we're really breaking up
Our relationship is ending for real this time
This time we've said way too much
We've gone too far in our arguments this time
This time's for all time
Our breakup is permanent this time
How about this time?
Are you ready to end it for good this time?
This time there'll be no goodnight kiss
We won't be saying goodbye to each other this time
This time is for ever
Our breakup is going to last forever this time
This time I find that I'm really losing you
I realize that I'm really losing you this time
Writer(s): CHIPS MOMAN
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.